RICHMOND, KY. – The Northern Illinois University softball team opened the Eastern Kentucky Invitational with losses to Saint Louis and Eastern Kentucky on Friday.
 
The Huskies (4-13) fell to Saint Louis, 4-0, in the first game of the day, before suffering a 5-3 setback to host Eastern Kentucky in game two. 
 
NIU's offense was held in check, tallying four hits in the first game against the Billikens.  Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East), Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central), Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle), and Dominique Greeno (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston) each provided a hit.  Greeno's hit was the only extra base hit, which was a double.
 
Saint Louis jumped on the board early with two runs in the first. The Huskies had an opportunity to respond in the bottom half of the inning.  Rio singled to start off the inning, and Harnish singled to advance Rio to second.  With one out, Rio and Harnish moved up a base on a wild pitch.  NIU loaded the bases with two outs after Van Geertry coaxed a walk. Unfortunately, Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) struck out to leave the bases loaded. 
 
Saint Louis tacked on two more insurance runs in the fourth inning.
 
The Huskies preformed better at the plate against the host Colonials in game two, pounding out 10 hits and mounting a late rally.  However, a four-run third by EKU was too much to overcome. 
 
In the first, with two outs, junior Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) doubled to the right field gap which kept the Huskies alive with two outs.  The next batter was sophomore Kayla Scaperrotta (Margate, Fla./Coral Springs Carter School) who scorched a double down the left field line to score Van Geertry to gave the Huskies an early 1-0 lead. 
 
The Colonials answered right back in the bottom of the inning with a lead-off homer tying the game at one.  After the Huskies went scoreless in the second and third, EKU posted a four-run bottom of the third, which gave them a 5-1 lead.
 
NIU got a run back in the top of the sixth.  With one out, junior Dominque Greeno singled.  The next batter was Schmidt, who roped a double down the left field line to advance Greeno to third. Sophomore Anne Allen (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North), who pinch-hit for junior Abby Howlett (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North), hit a sacrifice fly to score Greeno from third to close the gap to 5-2.
 
The Huskies mounted a late rally in the top of the seventh.  Freshman Kira Mickelson (Wheatland, Wis. / Westosha Central) led off the inning with a walk.  Junior Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East), who pinch-ran for Mickelson, advanced to second when senior Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./ Burlington Central) fouled out to the right fielder.  After Rio advanced to third on a wild pitch, Van Geertry singled home Rio to cut the Colonial lead to two.  However, the Huskies strand two runners in scoring position as Greeno struck out to end the game.
 
"We Played way more aggressive in the second game and had some awesome diving catches in the outfield to keep it close," said NIU head softball coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Lamich and Sam did a nice job putting the ball in play hard and battling through their at-bats."
 
Junior pitcher Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo./ Oakville) came into to relieve freshman Mackenzie Bryan (Elwood, Ind./Elwood) in the bottom third.  Frenz threw three and a third innings of two hit ball and struck out three against EKU.
 
"Alex did a great job coming into relief all day today, especially in the second game," said Sutcliffe. 
 
The Huskies are back to work tomorrow as they face the Catamounts of Western Carolina at 4:30 p.m. CT in day two of the EKU Invitational. 
 
–NIU–